Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi: Frequently Asked Questions

With so many websites offering free financial tools, it can be hard to know whom to trust. At NerdWallet, we spend literally 1,000s of hours researching partner offers and following strict editorial integrity to match you with the perfect choice. We even share how we make money so you can enjoy our expert advice and researched recommendations with total clarity and confidence.

If you’re a regular Costco shopper, you’ve probably heard the news by now: The relationship between Costco and American Express has ended, and the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express has been eliminated. Costco now accepts only Visa credit cards. People who had the old TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express have been sent the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi.

Judging by the number of questions we’ve received about the transition, many of you aren’t sure what to expect. To help you out, we’ve put together some answers.

When did the switch take place?

Costco began taking the new Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi on June 20. Costco will also accept any other Visa card, cash, checks, debit cards, EBT and Costco Cash Cards.

June 19 was the last day customers could shop at Costco with the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express or any other American Express card.

Is the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi also my Costco membership card?

Yes. Just like the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express, it doubles as a membership card. You can also use it to make purchases at stores other than Costco. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi’s annual fee is $0, but to get it you have to be a Costco member, which costs at least $55 a year.

If I had the Costco AmEx, will I get a new card?

Yes. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi was automatically sent to TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express cardholders in late May or early June. Your new card will have a different account number, but it won’t count as a new line of credit on your credit report.

Contact number

We’ve answered the most common questions about the new Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi here. For more specific questions, call Citi customer service at 866-241-8684.

However, almost as soon as the changeover became official, many customers reported that they had not received their new card, or had received it but could not activate it. Citi said it was working to resolve the problems.

If you want to continue your relationship with American Express, you’ll need to apply for a new credit card.

Will my credit score get dinged because of this?

Once the shift from American Express to Citi was complete, AmEx began reporting Costco credit card accounts as closed. Citi says it will begin reporting activity on the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi to the credit bureaus in September. As a result of the lag between those events, cardholders whose accounts have been transferred from AmEx to Citi might see their credit scores drop temporarily. When Citi reports the new account, it will show the same “origination date” — or account opening date — as the original AmEx. At that point, affected cardholders’ scores should go up again, all other things being equal.

Cardholders whose accounts were transferred will not see any credit score effects from a credit check. Accounts were transferred automatically from American Express, so no credit histories were pulled.

However, if you apply for a new American Express card, it’s possible that American Express will perform a hard credit pull and create a new account for you. Both will likely reduce your score.

But all of this might depend on how long you’ve had your account. Some who have Costco American Express cards that predate the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express have reported that their accounts were converted to other American Express cards without a hard credit pull. In some cases, they were even able to keep the same account number.

Find your card

Not sure if this card is right for you? Let's find the one. Tell us what you most want your new card to do.

Give me rewards

Save me money on interest

Establish or build my credit score

Can I still use my TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express elsewhere?

No, you won’t be able to use the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express after June 19. You will be able to use your new card at stores besides Costco.

What happens to the cash-back rewards from my TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express?

What are the basic facts about Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi?

0% on Purchases for 7 months, and then the ongoing APR of 16.24% Variable APR

The annual fee is $0.

The foreign transaction fee is 3%.

The balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred.

What kinds of rewards will I earn with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi?

Pretty good ones! Here’s a summary:

4% cash back on up to $7,000 in gas purchases each year from Costco and other gas stations, not including those at other warehouse clubs. After you reach $7,000, your gas purchases will earn 1%.

3% cash back at restaurants and on eligible travel purchases.

2% cash back on all purchases from Costco and Costco.com.

1% cash back on all other purchases.

Will I get travel and purchase protections with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi?

Yes. You’ll get worldwide car-rental insurance and travel accident insurance, as well as damage and purchase protection good for 120 days after buying something with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. You should have received a booklet detailing all the benefits around the time the card was issued.

What are my other options if I don’t want the Citi card?

Citi was sending the new cards to all TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express cardholders, so you probably received it whether you wanted it or not.

But because Costco is now accepting any Visa credit card, you can use a different one at Costco and elsewhere if that’s your preference.

We want to hear from you and encourage a lively discussion among our users. Please help us keep our site clean and safe by following our posting guidelines, and avoid disclosing personal or sensitive information such as bank account or phone numbers. Any comments posted under NerdWallet's official account are not reviewed or endorsed by representatives of financial institutions affiliated with the reviewed products, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific product’s site. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institution’s Terms and Conditions. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion® directly.

Advertiser Disclosure: So how do we make money? We receive compensation from our partners when someone applies or gets approved for a financial product through our site. But, the results of our tools (like our credit card comparison tool) and editorial reviews are based on quantitative and qualitative assessments of product features — nothing else. Compensation may influence the products we review and write about, the order in which categories appear in “best of” articles, whether products appear on our site and where they’re placed. While we try to feature as many product offers on our site as we can maintain (1,200+ credit cards and financial products!), we recognize that our site does not feature every company or financial product available on the market.